This equestrian inspired accent table salutes the cowboy heritage shared by all Texans whether they have spent time in the saddle or merely dreamed of riding horseback on the open range.
The top is an exceptional specimen of spalted curly Pecan from the owner’s private reserve at Berdoll Sawmill. It has been stabilized, machined and slip matched. The faceted star is handcrafted from shop-sawn Mesquite, Pecan, and Holly veneers. Inlaid on either side are Mesquite “headstall straps” complete with brass buckles.
The top is capped with Mesquite breadboard ends that are shaped like the “pommel” of a saddle. They are attached with traditional mortise and tenons using draw bore pins capped with decorative brass accents. The ends feature carved “longhorn” embellishments and a concho to represent the “saddle horn”.
A quartersawn Pecan, box-jointed “strongbox” is suspended beneath the table top and wrapped by a Mesquite “billet strap” with brass buckles. The fitted Pecan drawer includes a marquetry horse head motif inside and a Texas flag motif underneath. It runs on custom UHMW glides to ensure a lifetime of smooth operation. The Mesquite front is emblazoned with a Western motif to match the custom drawer pull. The back of the drawer is ventilated with a meandering horse trail on a polished aluminum panel.
The distinctive legs are modeled after Western “curb bits” for horse bridles. Each leg is constructed with eight thin layers of resawn Pecan that have been epoxy laminated together in a vacuum press for structural strength. The wood was then machined and shaped using shop made templates. It is ebonized to resemble forged iron and sandwiched between polished aluminum panels secured with brass binding bolts. The legs are spanned with polished brass tubes to mimic a “straight bar mouthpiece.”
The floating shelf is wrapped in full-grain leather that has been dyed, waxed, and distressed. It is secured with traditional hide glue and decorative upholstery tacks. This living finish will continue to develop patina and character over time just like a trusted saddle. The Mesquite ends are shaped like a “saddle cantle” and sport polished aluminum horseshoe inlays.
We enjoy the challenges that arise from working with different materials and then combining them together in an unexpected way. We chose to use aluminum and brass because they can be machined with standard woodworking tools. All work was accomplished without the use of a CNC router or Shaper Origin.
The wood finish is a European hardwax oil that has been hand rubbed to a satin sheen. The metal components have been polished to 3,000 grit and coated with an industrial protective finish.
